1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to treatment methods for the improvement of the health of the teeth, gums, and mouth, the invention particularly providing methods for the reduction and prevention of pellicle and plaque on the teeth and of infections of the teeth, gums, and mouth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Proper oral hygiene as presently practiced requires that the substance known as "plaque" which forms on the surfaces of the teeth be removed in order to eliminate a source of potential injury to the teeth and gums as well as to allow usual oral hygiene methods to be more effective. The removal of plaque is, therefore, not for cosmetic purposes although such purposes are also served when plaque is removed from the teeth. Prior methods for removing plaque have essentially been mechanical in nature, the toothbrush being used for personal hygiene by the patient. Abrasive compounds are also applied by the dentist to the teeth by rotary "polishing" instruments which mechanically "scour" plaque from the teeth. These prior treatments, while effective, at best only eliminate the gross build-up on the teeth, thin layers of plaque remaining after such treatments due to the undesirability of grinding or abrading the enamel surfaces of the teeth which can result from a too enthusiastic practice of the prior methods.
The necessity for plaque control is due to the very nature of this rather complex material. Essentially, pellicle, a precursor of plaque, deposits in rough areas or at or under the free margin of the gingiva. Plaque is generally considered to be a deposit of material on the surface of a tooth, the deposit usually is a growth of bacteria. Plaque also acts as a nucleus for formation of a dental calculus which typically comprises calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and organic matter which forms as a deposit on the surface of the teeth. Plaque has different forms and combinations of forms depending on individual oral conditions, the syndrome typically referred to as plaque usually not being recognized as having the complexity which it exhibits. The complex nature of plaque is elucidated only partially by an appreciation of the fact that plaque can be at least partially bacterial and/or fungal in nature as well as being an actual deposit of inorganic and organic materials. The very complexity of the syndrome referred to as plaque has caused the dental practitioner to feel the need for even more effective treatment and preventative tools than have heretofore been available. The present invention provides such a tool and, concurrently, provides treatment methods otherwise useful for generally treating oral infections, including yeast infections, and for maintaining a high level of oral health. In particular, practice of the present invention acts to reduce tooth decay and gum diseases inter alia by reducing the bacteria count in the mouth, the reduction of the bacteria count to a desired and safe level due to the present methods being one cause for the reduction of tooth decay and gum diseases provided by the invention.
When considering the prior art at the time of the present invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,854 to Molnar is to be noted. Molnar discloses a dental plastic composition which includes a fatty acid, such as undecylenic acid, as a bound portion of the plastic polymer, the acid not being capable of leaching out of the plastic composition. Therefore, when the dental plastic composition is utilized as intended by Molnar to fabricate dentures, the action of saliva or other oral fluids do not cause the acid or other equivalent substance of Molnar to leach from the denture. Molnar clearly intends to maintain the acid within the dental plastic composition and indicates that his composition would be frustrated in its intended purpose were the acid to so vacate the composition. The bound acid or other active ingredient in the denture formed according to the teachings of Molnar acts to prevent the formation of the pathologic fungus Candida albicans on and in the denture. Molnar provides no indication that undecylenic acid could be directly applied to the teeth and tissues of the mouth to reduce or eliminate plaque on the teeth or to treat infections of the gums and other tissues due to bacteria. Molnar does not envision improvement of the condition of the gums, teeth and mouth by reduction of the bacteria count in the mouth as well as by the prevention and/or treatment of yeast infections and fungal conditions in the mouth. Molnar clearly does not provide any indication that tooth decay due to the presence of parasitic bacteria in the mouth can be treated, reduced, and/or prevented through the use of undecylenic acid or any other substance, composition of matter, or treatment.
Fatty acids, such as undecylenic acid, have also been previously used for the control of fungus infections in the intestine as well as in plastics as a plasticizer, as a flavoring, and as a constituent of perfumes and lubricants. As a further example of a use of such fatty acids, Jones et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,012, disclose a method for repelling insects comprising the application of such acids to the skin, clothing, or other areas from which the insects are to be repelled. The prior art has not, however, provided the unexpected results and advantages which accrue from a practice of the present invention.